Sunday, January 2, 2011

When God Girls Choose Sin

My parents raised me to be a y’all using, grits eating, horse riding Southern Baptist kind of girl. We attended church every Sunday, Girls in Action (GA’s) every Wednesday night, Bible drills, and youth camps. To say that I was exposed to religion would be an understatement. Y’all might say I was sopping in it-- like a biscuit smothered in red-eye gravy.

Yet there seems to be a snag in the fabric of this little girl’s life. Once I reach the age of 19, this God girl chooses sin instead of her Savior. She chooses suffering instead of saving. I should have high-tailed it as fast as I could away from sin, but instead I flirt with it, I test it, and I push its limits. I am dressing like a Christian, looking like a Christian, proclaiming to be a Christian, but certainly not acting like a Christian.

What happened?

Why did I think the opposite side of the street apart from God would be sunnier? Did I take my blessings for granted because I got used to them? Did I get too comfy in those cherry wood pews?

I used to be the Bible drill queen. I could locate any book of the Bible in 6 seconds flat, but my head knowledge never truly became heart knowledge. This girl chose sin because she knew informational religion instead of transformational relationship.

Why did this good girl choose sin?

Somehow, somewhere, I ceased to be amazed by an all-powerful, all-mighty God. I never denied myself. I never gave until it hurt. I didn’t trust God the way he calls us too. I got comfortable and lazy. I sat in the pew of a mega church because that’s what good girls did. I wore my control top pantyhose, sear sucker dress, and oversized hat because my mamma told me to. After a while a girl becomes more amazed by the cutie sitting in the back of the church than what’s going on in the front of the church.Sin will always be around trying to lure and entice us.

Unfortunately, for me, tragedy had to strike before I woke up from my sin stupor. I had to learn denial of self 101 the hard way. God allowed extreme hardship in my life so that today I could stand in absolute awe of Him, never ceasing to be amazed.

My prayer for this New Year is that even though we may want to sin, we will deny ourselves anyway. We will be determined to pursue absolute devotion and radical obedience. And most importantly, I pray that we will NEVER EVER cease to be amazed by our awesome God.

“That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.”

16 comments:

Love the post! Sin is like cancer it will kill you physically and spiritually, it is always lurking around to entrap us. But thanks be to God we have a way out.No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it...1 Corinthians 10:13

Love this post and it was like you were writing about me! (except I was raised Presbyterian (: )But yes, I totally understand this post and I love what you said about the informational religion instead of transformational relationship because I was right there too! Maybe things like this happen for a reason so that now it clicks and we totally get it! Sometimes I think we have to go through the ruff patches because they make us stronger and we appreciate things so much more now!

Kelli,Thank you for sharing this. It can be so hard to be honest about the struggles we have or have had, especially when you know that you are expected to be the perfect little "God girl". It can also be very hard to come back from. My husband and I have seen that so many times in the lives of our teens. They get so close to God but then they are seduced and lead away by their own desires. They know what they are doing is wrong. Maybe it's as simple and skipping out on church for a month or more. But they know how hard it will be to get back to where they are before or they are ashamed of actions they know are wrong so it's just easier to continue to live in sin. Sometimes they never come back. Sometimes tragedy brings them back on their knees. Praise God that you can back! Not everyone makes the right decision.

Well said my friend,, I loved the informational religion not transformational relationship part. I to was brought up in a very "religious" home, but #1 never believed in it (LDS) #2 never "needed it,,it hurts to write those words now never needed him,,,, I did I just didnt know it,,I had to fall HARD,,so far in a pit i HAD to look up,,I Needed him then,,,I am in awe,,I a pray we can stay in awe of our Lord until that blessed day when are "caught" up with him. great message,,thanks ya grits eater..hhaha love it!

I, too, was 19 ... so I related well to what you shared and reflected a bit more than I have recently about my choices then and now. It does give me pause as a mom ~ so much to think and pray on ~ so that I can raise my children to have a first hand faith instead of a second hand experience.

Thanks for sharing this encouragement as we all move into a new year, a new season of faith.

Wonderful post! Like you, I was raised in church. We went to church every time the doors were open. Actually, we were the first ones there to open those doors and the last ones there to lock them up. I knew the Bible, I knew how to dress and what to say. I could take it all in, but I wasn't soaking it in. It took many years to realize I needed a meaningful relationship. Now I just can not get enough of God!

So very good, Kelli! Your title alone convicted me. It's not the "accidental" sins that trip us up, it's the sins we choose. I was raised in a christian home too. We went to church every time the doors were open - every time. But it was something we did. There wasn't a personal relationship until I was around 19. I don't want to choose sin - I want to choose God. Thanks for this great post; it's really making me think. Many blessings!

My goodness, Kelli. Thank you so much for opening up and showing your heart in this way. I wish this message could somehow find its way into the hands of so many young girls! Beautifully written - another great post!Thank you so much and God Bless.

While I obviously wasn't a "God Girl" growing up (love the phrase BTW), church was very much pushed and treated like schoolwork and although I gained the knowledge they said I needed to follow His Path, I didn't have it in my heart. Like you, my close relationship with Him came much later in life, and started with extreme hardship as well. Sometimes, the painful lessons are truly necessary to start us on the Journey.

I think you summed it up beautifully with the phrase : "informational religion instead of transformational relationship". I can happily say I'm in the latter now, and life is so much richer for it.

Kelli!!! Hi! I'm following you back. Thank you so much for dropping by my blog. It's such a blessing to be here... This is such a wonderful post. I thank you for sharing a piece of your heart here. You take care now. Be blessed!

Powerful, powerful message. All teenagers - boys and girls - should read this. For two reasons. 1) To encourage them to not sin. 2) To let them know that, if/when they do, they can always come home. And we want them to!! Good job.

I am in the minority here because I was saved as an adult, but either way no matter where you start we must move from being filled with information to being overcome with transformation... I loved that line too by the way :)Awesome post my sweet friend, love you!

Thank you for sharing this. I tend to want to fall back to what I know and most of that has sin. I am blessed to be where I am right now. There should be no thoughts of moving back only forward. New Year with new friends that will help bring me closer to HIM.